Electronic devices are continually getting “smarter” as greater processing power becomes available in smaller and smaller packages. With many types of electronic devices now ubiquitously part of personal and professional life, they occupy a unique position in our lives. They provide an easy-to-use, powerful tool that can be used to improve, and even to introduce paradigm shifts to how certain things are done. Listening to music is one simple example. This presents endless opportunity for applications on a smartphone or other user electronic devices.
It seems, however, that most of the productivity improvements introduced through devices like personal devices like the smartphone are personal, rather than professional. It's easier to find things like restaurants, stores, etc. using navigation features of a smartphone. It's easier to keep in touch through phone calls, text messaging, social network accounts like Twitter and Facebook, and email. It's easier to take and share pictures. And myriad other applications that attempt to improve personal life. Professional life has not been overlooked, but it seems that the improvements here are more limited in type, scope and impact. For example, it's also easier to keep in touch professionally through phone calls, text messaging and email. It's easier to maintain professional contacts and to gain access to those contacts anytime, anywhere. It seems, however, the professional improvements brought about through the portability and availability of computer processing power have not presented a significant shift in how business is done. Professional improvements seem to fall into the category of improved efficiency, but certainly nothing considered a paradigm shift. There remain many opportunities for such improvements to professional life that are possible with more intelligent personal electronic devices like the smartphone.
Electronic devices tend to be designed and configured for a particular purpose or function. While electronic devices may be multi-function devices, e.g., a multi-function printer, a smart phone that can make phone calls, takes pictures and play music, the function(s) are typically pre-programmed, and a user of the device is limited to these preprogrammed functions. However, because an electronic device is preprogrammed for a particular function or functions does not mean those are the only functions the device is capable of performing. To the contrary, many electronic devices are capable of performing functions for which they are not programmed. Unfortunately, a user is limited to the preprogrammed and available functions of an electronic device unless the user pays to upgrade the device to enhance and/or expand its functionality. It's currently not possible for a user, in real-time, to use a personal electronic device like a smartphone to access and control a target electronic device in a way that changes the function or functionality of the target device.
Consider a multi-function printer (“MFP”), as one example. Although this device is configured primarily as a printer and copier, it is also able to perform functions beyond these. For example, a typical MFP is capable of scanning a document and sending it via email by accessing an address book stored in the MFP provided that the user is in front of the MFP and directly controlling it. Thus it is possible for an MFP to email documents to recipients having email addresses in the MFP's internal address book, email addresses entered by a user, or otherwise obtained by the MFP, optionally with attachments scanned by the MFP. These functions of the MFP, as examples, are available but limited by the preprogrammed configuration of the MFP.
In addition, an MFP has on-board intelligence beyond what is necessary to control the core functions of the printer. MFPs have networking functionality, enabling direct or wireless connection to a network, and authorization functionality to prevent unauthorized use of or access to the MFP, as two examples. MFPs are also able to collect and log usage data, including various metrics such as per-user usage, paper try utilization, toner status, etc.
In addition to the above-noted shortcomings of the prior art, it is also currently not possible to access significant types and amounts of data captured by an MFP, and use that data to intelligently manage the use and operation of the MFP. It is also currently not possible to create automatic service events for an MFP based upon usage data and most anticipated or most common service requirements. It is also currently not possible to remotely construct and control custom operations for an MFP such as, by way of non-limiting example, a custom print job that involves a sequence of discrete steps carried out by the MFP with or without user interaction.
Yet another shortcoming of the prior art is the absence of a system or method for providing user-centric content to a user electronic device that enables the user to productively pass the time while waiting for a target electronic device to complete a command from the user (e.g., for a multi-function printer to complete a print command). More specifically, a system or method capable of identifying certain characteristics of the user, the command and the target electronic device, and providing media having content that is at least similar to one or more of the certain characteristics. For example, user characteristics may comprise preferences for: types of media, e.g., video, audio, text; and types of content, e.g., news, sports, educational. Characteristics of the command may comprise the type of command, e.g., print, copy, fax, email, and characteristics of the target electronic device may comprise the time required to complete the command. Thus, what is lacking in the prior art is a system or method that can, in response to a command submitted by a user to a target electronic device, identify and select a media source and/or file of a preferred media type, a preferred content type, and of a length that will fill the time required for the target electronic device to complete the command, thereby enabling the entirety of the content to be delivered to the user while waiting for completion of the command.
Still another shortcoming lacking in the prior art is a system or method for providing user-centric content to an electronic device that enables a user to control the length of time the user-centric content plays or is displayed.
Yet another shortcoming lacking in the prior art is a system or method of providing user-centric content to an electronic device, where the content selected has a revenue value based upon the amount of revenue generated by playing, displaying, etc. the content, and where the revenue value is not less than the cost of a MFP to complete a command.
Still another shortcoming of the prior art is a system or method for enabling a user to control user-centric content with audible commands using a user device control.
What is lacking in the prior art is a system or method that addresses and/or overcomes the above-described shortcomings of the prior art.